Finding net force on object with more than one force

[Planefreak]

Homework Statement

Three 8kg spheres are located at (0, 1.7), (1.7, 1.7), and (1.7, 0) named A, B, and C respectively. What is the net gravitational force acting on sphere A?

Homework Equations

F = GMm/r²

The Attempt at a Solution

So far I've tried this several ways with no success. I'm not really sure where to begin. Since there is only one acting in the vertical direction I started there. I found the amount of force that the two had towards each other. Then I did some math to determine how much of that is downward. I came up with 3.1388e-10 which is incorrect. I tried the other one in a similar fashion. I found both of the forces then added the two together. Not directly but finding how much is being pulled horizontally and adding to the other. I'm almost 100% sure that I am forgetting something or just messed up somewhere along the way.

 

[LowlyPion]

They are vectors aren't they?

G1 = ... i + ... j

G2 = ... i + ... j

G1 + G2 = ... ?

 

[nlightner]

To find the net gravitational force on sphere A, we must first calculate the individual forces between sphere A and spheres B and C using the equation F = GMm/r^2, where G is the gravitational constant, M and m are the masses of the two objects, and r is the distance between them. Once we have calculated the individual forces, we can use vector addition to find the net force on sphere A. This can be done by breaking down the forces into their x and y components and then adding them together using vector addition. The result will give us the magnitude and direction of the net force on sphere A. It is important to note that the net force will depend on the distance between the spheres, so if the distances change, the net force will also change. It is also important to consider the direction of the forces, as they may cancel each other out or add up to a larger force. Overall, the net force on sphere A can be found by calculating the individual forces and using vector addition to find the resultant force.